


Side Project

by misslucy21



Category: NCIS: Los Angeles, Numb3rs
Genre: Collection: Purimgifts Day 3, Crossover, Gen, POV Outsider
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-01
Updated: 2015-03-01
Packaged: 2018-03-15 18:09:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3456839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misslucy21/pseuds/misslucy21
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They were not an unobtrusive trio as they came into Charlie’s office, but the beauty of college campuses was that anyone could blend.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Side Project

**Author's Note:**

  * For [csichick_2](https://archiveofourown.org/users/csichick_2/gifts).



They were not an unobtrusive trio as they came into Charlie’s office, but the beauty of college campuses was that anyone could blend.

 

“Oh, Hi,” Charlie said looking up from his conversation with Don. “I have that analysis, Nell.”

 

Nell aimed an uncertain glance at Don. “Oh, that’s my brother Don,” Charlie explained. “He’s with the FBI.”

 

“Ah,” Nell said, exchanging looks with the other two. The smaller man blinked back at her blandly. The big man rolled his eyes at them both.

 

“Agent Hanna,” he said, extending a hand to Don. “NCIS.”

 

“Don Epps,” Don said, standing up to shake hands, noticing that he hadn’t gotten a first name. Hanna was tall, and the henley shirt he was wearing didn’t hide the fact that he was well muscled. His smile was easy and natural, but Don had a feeling it was also calculated to be non-threatening. He moved like he was very aware of his body and looked like he could probably go from disarming to lethal in a matter of seconds.

 

“Nell Jones,” the redhead said, also shaking hands. “Your brother’s been very helpful.”

 

“He usually is,” Don agreed. Nell Jones was tiny. She might shop in the kids’ section of the store, judging both from her size and her bright dress that almost, but not quite, clashed with her bright red hair. There was a nod to professionalism in her black cardigan, but she could easily pass for one of Charlie’s students. Grad student, maybe- Don was pretty sure she was a little older than she looked. But he was also pretty sure she was an analyst and not someone in the field; she’d be very memorable.

 

“Callen,” the other man said, shaking Don’s hand briefly. He seemed to be interested in the bare minimum of politeness. Callen was almost completely average. He was about Don’s height and they were probably within 10 pounds of each other. His close cropped hair was light brown and probably closer to blond in the summer. With the right clothes, he probably could pass as anything from mid-20s to mid-40s. Perfect camouflage for LA, if the open wariness and coiled energy were hidden. Callen seemed to be trying to project “dangerous” at the moment, and Don wouldn’t doubt it.

 

Don watched as Hanna settled himself against the wall by the door where he’d have an unobtrusive view of both the door and the office itself although most of his attention was actually on Callen who was wandering around the office, looking at the books and the whiteboards. But Hanna was willing to make small talk, and Don quickly established that he was retired Navy, which explained why he’d hooked up with NCIS. Callen hadn’t said a word and was studiously pretending to have no interest in Don.

 

Ms. Jones and Charlie were spitting math at each other. Charlie wasn’t dumbing it down as much as he usually did for Don. A glance at Callen told him Callen was definitely listening, but probably not comprehending it. Hanna was mostly not bothering to listen.

 

He and Hanna had worked around to discussing the Lakers’s recent losing streak when Hanna made a subtle gesture and Don shifted to see Callen had picked up one of Charlie’s demo toys. Hanna gave Callen a look that was almost parental. Callen looked at the toy for a moment, then set it down very deliberately, as though he’d been finished with it anyway.

 

Ms. Jones seemed to have caught the interaction and she started moving the conversation along. Apparently, Callen starting to seem bored was a sign to wrap things up. Or perhaps it was Hanna acting paternal. Either way, the three of them certainly seemed to be very aware of each other. They’d clearly been teammates for awhile.

 

“Will that do it for you?” Charlie asked, finally.

 

“I think so, yeah,” Ms. Jones nodded. “I’ll let you know.”

 

“Great,” Charlie said, standing up as she did. A quick round of goodbyes and the three were gone.

 

“So that’s your side project,” Don commented.

 

“One of them, yes. I’m not sure what they’re doing, but it’s pretty massive,” Charlie said. “I mostly seem to be poking holes in their assumptions.”

 

“You weren’t dumbing the math down.”

 

Charlie shook his head. “Nell is at least at Amita’s level of ability. She doesn’t get Cognitive Emergence, but anything applied she’s more than capable.”

 

“Does anyone get Cognitive Emergence?”

 

“Not yet,” Charlie smiled. “Soon, maybe. Anyway, Nell knows what she’s doing.”

 

“Does Callen?” Don asked, curiously. “He looked like he was listening.”

 

“I’m pretty sure he doesn’t understand the math at all. I tried to slow it down one day because I know he’s listening, but he got kind of...scowly and Nell said not to. I can’t tell if he’s listening to what I’m saying or watching what she’s saying. And Agent Hanna isn’t really interested in any of it. I think he’s just along for the ride, really.”

 

“Or to make sure Callen doesn’t mess with your stuff.”

 

Charlie laughed. “I tried to tell them that I don’t mind if they play with the demo toys, but Agent Hanna said something about Agent Callen ‘fixing’ things that don’t need fixing. So I guess it’s hands off the toys.” He shook his head. “I’m pretty sure they have some sort of ‘don’t go alone’ policy when it comes to work. Nell’s come by on her own a couple of times, but it was to chat about other things. Any time it’s work related, Callen and Hanna are with her.”

 

“Teammates watching each other’s backs.”

 

“Yes, exactly. Callen is usually slightly more talkative than today. I think they don’t like new people.”

 

“Or the FBI.” He hadn’t had any dealings with NCIS, but he was well aware that federal agencies didn’t always play well with each other.

 

“Or that,” Charlie nodded. “Anyway, I have a class.”

 

“Okay. I’ll see you later.” Charlie waved as he left the office.

 

 

 


End file.
